J&K: Army orders probe into fake encounter

A Major and his team have been accused of entering into a criminal conspiracy to abduct three youths, who were later killed in an alleged fake encounter, in a probe report by Jammu and Kashmir Police handed over to the Army which ordered a high-level enquiry into the case.

The report was handed over to the 15 Corps Commander Lieutenant General N C Marwah. The police, in its preliminary probe, have alleged that Major Opinder and his team members including two subedar majors and a sepoy allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with locals of Rafiabad including a jawan of Territorial Army -- Abbas Shah -- and kidnapped three youths on the pretext of providing them job, official sources said. They were later killed on April 30 after being labelled as terrorists. After receiving the report, Army ordered a high-level enquiry into the alleged fake encounter and said that proceedings will be "judiciously expedited".

"Based on the preliminary report of the Machhil encounter, received from Jammu and Kashmir Police late evening on 29 May, a high-level enquiry has been ordered by the Army," a defence spokesman said. He said the enquiry will investigate all allegation, based on the report submitted by the police and efforts were on to "recall" the witnesses as their unit had beende-inducted. "We will judiciously expedite the proceedings as promised,"